Robin Levinson King And
REGAN Morris
The suspect in the murder of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Wednesday seems to be “the age of the college,” said investigators.
The officials told the media that they had “good video sequences” of the shooter, but do not publish it yet. They said they had followed the suspect’s movements when he jumped from a roof and fled the campus in a neighborhood.
Kirk, 31, who founded the Turning Point Political Political Political Group, was shot in the neck on the campus while speaking to students.
The FBI special agent in charge Robert Bohls said they had recovered the suspected weapon – a rifle of high power – in a wooded area near the scene, as well as a palm print and a “impression of shoes”.
He declared Thursday at a press conference that they did not think there was a risk for the community of the city of Orem, 40 miles (64 km) south of Salt Lake City.
The commissioner of the Ministry of Public Security of Utah, Beau Mason, said that the shooter “seems to be of college age” and had mixed well in the campus environment.
“We are not publishing much details at the moment,” added Mason. “We will do it soon. But for the moment, we are not.”
The suspect arrived on the campus at 11:52 am local on Wednesday, said officials – just under half an hour before Kirk was killed with a single blow around 12:20 p.m.
The investigators said that the shooter had climbed the staircase to the roof and on the other side of the shooting. After filming, he jumped from the building and escaped.
A few hours after the shooting, people gathered near the campus in the hope of recovering vehicles and other goods left behind because they had fled the premises.
“It’s frightening,” said student Brock Anderson at the BBC. “It’s disturbing around the campus right now.”
Vice-president JD Vance, a close friend of Kirk and his family, goes to Utah to pay tribute.
He and his wife, USHA, canceled their trip to New York, where they initially planned to visit Ground Zero and attend a ceremony commemorating the 24th anniversary of September 11.
After attending a commemorative service of September 11 at the Pentagon, President Donald Trump expressed condolences and said that “we are going to talk about” bringing the country “very soon”.
“You don’t replace a Charlie Kirk. It is unique, as you all know … But we will do our best,” he said.
He said he intended to honor Kirk by posthumously granting him the presidential medal of freedom.
Trump said he would call Kirk’s family this afternoon and that he had been informed of the investigation.
“They have a virtual manhunt,” he said. “We will see what’s going on. We hope they get it.”
